This might just have been another road movie. It could have been another Broadway-style musical. It could have been another Priscilla or La Ronde. Or, perhaps, an expression of black freedom. Who cares, really, because what we get is a load of foot-tapping laughs. Plot? What do you expect in a musical out of Hollywood? Story? Yes, there's a story stitching the episodes together. Rachel Perkins does a fine job, with tight direction, and a clever choice of leads. How many films rely on all of the cast for top performances? We get Ernie Dingo, as sharp as ever in his characterization. We get Deborah Mailman, one of the most fetching faces on film. And we get Magda Szubanski, a comic who seems to be able to step into any role. Here we have her handling a Lee Enfield .303 rifle with ease. I expected to see another Annie Get Your Gun, but Magda is no crack shot. Luckily, she misses. I thought Magda might turn out to be the token white in a black movie, but she and the black Deborah Mailman are equally libidinous in an hilarious way. Is this black equality or an expression of female power? Perkins doesn't go overboard with the Australian landscape, even though her cinematographer must have been tempted. When you see it, make sure you get the full-width screen. The empty distances are just that. I love the way we get groups of dancers springing out of nowhere, choirs appearing as if by magic, and the entirely predictable ending. OK, Hollywood thought of it first. With all its flaws, this is a fun hour-and-a-half.
Review of Bran Nue Dae
